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For a couple of bucks, get a weird haircut and waste your life away Bryan Adams....Hammock hangs are where you go into the woods to meet men you've only known on the internet so you can sit around a campfire to swap sewing tips and recipes. - sargevining on HF

I have been on allopurinol for several years with no relapses and no issues at all with hikes. You need to have blood tests once a year to monitor your uric acid levels (and kidney functionality)- but for the most part you can put it in the "take the medicine and forget about it" category.

Beans and wine were triggers for me at first. Then years later I no longer was able to drink beer without a flare. Then red meat. Then mushrooms. You need to learn what your food is that causes flares. Allopurinol does work. Cherries are a natural remedy also.

I've been dealing with it for years without daily medication. I prefer diet & exercise. A few things I have found out: Exercise is the most important! The more active I am the more I can cheat on my diet with no effect. Also water quality Also something not mentioned as far as I know is water quality. I noticed symptoms when my diet hadn't changed but the water source did. When they had a high calcium or limestone content, it caused a painful but not completely debilitating reaction.

While hiking I find water quality about the best you can get. For food I avoid beef & pork. As I said before being active allows me some cheats. When working a homestaed I would even have a few beers a day if I was chopping wood. Something that when less active would be a trigger for me.

No one responded to your question "What are ya'lls' thoughts on protein needs over a 2 week section hike vs the risk of relapse?"

I can't respond specifically to gout based on personal experience ... but ... since you are likely to be eating a higher carb diet on the trail anyway, and exercising a great deal ... the chance of a relapse while hiking is at least less likely. Note that the Article the RocDoc posted the link to is a vegetarian "low-carb" diet. Lower carb, hence higher protein is the issue whether you are a vegan or not.

It is pretty easy to control excessive protein intake while hiking. In my experience, it is easy to be on a lower protein, higher carb diet on the trail than the reverse.

Also ... the real reason I'm responding is that since you are a section hiker ... unless you are VERY SLENDER ... specific diet is far less important on the trail than for a thru hiker. You can easily avoid anything that might be a problem, even eat a highly unbalanced diet, and you will be off the trail before there are real effects. If you are like me and carry a few extra pounds, you can even eat light, and live a bit off the "fat of the land" (that is the fat you are carrying in your body), without suffering any negative effects.

Basically ... don't over think it ... get on the trail and walk ... eat the foods that are easy to carry, avoiding obvious triggers ... and have fun. It will be the best possible combination towards getting your body back on track....

No one responded to your question "What are ya'lls' thoughts on protein needs over a 2 week section hike vs the risk of relapse?"

I can't respond specifically to gout based on personal experience ... but ... since you are likely to be eating a higher carb diet on the trail anyway, and exercising a great deal ... the chance of a relapse while hiking is at least less likely. Note that the Article the RocDoc posted the link to is a vegetarian "low-carb" diet. Lower carb, hence higher protein is the issue whether you are a vegan or not.

It is pretty easy to control excessive protein intake while hiking. In my experience, it is easy to be on a lower protein, higher carb diet on the trail than the reverse.

Also ... the real reason I'm responding is that since you are a section hiker ... unless you are VERY SLENDER ... specific diet is far less important on the trail than for a thru hiker. You can easily avoid anything that might be a problem, even eat a highly unbalanced diet, and you will be off the trail before there are real effects. If you are like me and carry a few extra pounds, you can even eat light, and live a bit off the "fat of the land" (that is the fat you are carrying in your body), without suffering any negative effects.

Basically ... don't over think it ... get on the trail and walk ... eat the foods that are easy to carry, avoiding obvious triggers ... and have fun. It will be the best possible combination towards getting your body back on track....

I have been on allopurinol for several years with no relapses and no issues at all with hikes. You need to have blood tests once a year to monitor your uric acid levels (and kidney functionality)- but for the most part you can put it in the "take the medicine and forget about it" category.

+1 on the above. I've also been on allopurinol for a while with no relapses. I also carry indomethacin and colcrys against flareups but couldn't tell you the last time that I needed them.

I eat rather indiscriminately while on the trail but agree it is a lower protein/higher carb diet; avoid your known triggers. I also agree that exercise helps.

Don't just take advice from here, my professional engineering opinion ( for what it's worth ) is to consult your doctor.

For those who had gout; I have no idea what my triggers are. It would help to know the expected delay between intake of the "trigger" and onset of the symptoms. What is the average in those of you that have/had gout and the onset?? That could help me figure out what triggers me. . . . ! I hope the answer isn't "it differs with everyone . . .".

For those who had gout; I have no idea what my triggers are. It would help to know the expected delay between intake of the "trigger" and onset of the symptoms. What is the average in those of you that have/had gout and the onset?? That could help me figure out what triggers me. . . . ! I hope the answer isn't "it differs with everyone . . .".

I know and learned that beans are a major cause for me. Eat baked beans and three days later I have full on gout.

So to summarize the above . . . I guess I will hope the allopurinol will curb the gout and back off on the protein for a little more carb just to hedge my bet.
Can I have a "Amen" from the audience?? or did I miss the mark??

I question the protein cause, my go doctors recommendation was much more nuanced than that. Google gout diet to see trigger foods. For me it is a problem of accumulation over time. Alcohol, shellfish, cured/organ meats (hotdogs,pepperoni,salami), and sugar. Dehydration seems to be a trigger as well. I have quit sugar, lessened beer, and am keep in mind other triggers.

As was said don’t worry too much about protein on trail. I try to get mine with nuts mostly and go light on jerky and cured meets. Carrying indomethacin is a great idea for flare ups it acts fairly quickly. I have not had a flare up on trail but have run through them and it was bearable.